152 replies to this topic

[missminni]

My toenail fungus isn't overly extensive, but it is persistent. Had 2 courses of an oral antifungal and it had no effect. Resveratrol is suppose to be an antifungal and I am planning to get back on that with a much higher dosage soon, as well as trying the bleach treatment. Hopefully that will do it. Tried the tree tea oil for a month but got no effect

She buffed them twice a day with tea tree oil. that's the key...buffing them with it so you rub it in the surface of the nail. She said it took 6 months but it finally got rid of it.

[missminni]

On Sept 18th I had an eczema breakout after trimming tomato plants. The leaves irritated my hands and the rash spread to
my arms neck and face. It almost went full out with the stinging etc, but was halted by taking fexofenadine. I have it basically under control but I still have it. I find that the most effective cream is creme de la mer, a very expensive moisturizer, but it really works. This is such a pain. I just can't seem to get a handle on it.

[missminni]

Since my last post, the flare up got so bad I had to go back on prednisone for three weeks. I had a biopsy done during the flare up and it was diagnosed as an auto-immune reaction.
I am off prednisone for a 3 days now and I discovered something quite amazing.
In a moment of desperation, when I noticed the rash returning, I grabbed an old tube of Retin A that was in my medicine cabinet, since I had no other creams available, and put it on the inflamed rash. Within an hour the rash began to disappear. By the end of the day it was gone. No rash. But the most amazing part of it is that the rash doesn't return to the area that I used the Retin A on.

I actually had another break out on my upper arm this morning (an area I didn't put the Retin A on) and applied the Retin A.
Again within an hour the rash was fading. The dermatologist said that since Retin A encourages collagen production,
that might be the reason it clears the rash. I'll keep you posted. So far, it's incredible. I've never had any cream or medication clear it
so fast, or clear it at all, except for prednisone...which didn't even entirely clear it....and of course is not a desirable solution.

I also would like to add that since posting about eczema, I found out from my brother that both he and my father have psoriasis on their arms.
I never knew this. It is my arms that are the main location for my breakouts. I assume I have a genetic predisposition for this
condition. Since it is only a week now that I have discovered the effectiveness of Retin A, I will post again as to further developments.

[DukeNukem]

I was looking into this topic a while back for a friend, and found this site, which is basically an online book. Seems to be quite informative, with a lot of testimonials. Topical and oral calcium seems to be one of the keys to reducing eczema. Note, I wouldn't dare use oral calcium supps without also taking D3, magnesium and K2, to insure that you're calcifying your arteries.

[missminni]

I was looking into this topic a while back for a friend, and found this site, which is basically an online book. Seems to be quite informative, with a lot of testimonials. Topical and oral calcium seems to be one of the keys to reducing eczema. Note, I wouldn't dare use oral calcium supps without also taking D3, magnesium and K2, to insure that you're calcifying your arteries.

I am taking at the dermatologists suggestion....a liquid calcium that has D3 K and magnesium in it...
did you mean "to insure that you are not calcifying your arteries"?
The other thing I am taking at her request is niacinamide with zinc and folic acid. Those are the only supplements I am taking now.
No more pregnenolone, dhea of resveratrol.
My skin quality is much improved.
The Retin A is miraculous. The flare up I had this morning is totally gone now.
Please suggest it to your friend. It can be gotten without a prescription from here
I used the .10% concentration in cream form applied lightly. It causes light peeling, at which point I apply a light moisturizer.

[niner]

The Retin A is miraculous. The flare up I had this morning is totally gone now.
Please suggest it to your friend. It can be gotten without a prescription from here
I used the .10% concentration in cream form applied lightly. It causes light peeling, at which point I apply a light moisturizer.

That's really weird. My experience with Retin-A was that a little bit of it caused a horrible eczema outbreak for me. It's widely known to be bad for eczematous skin, so your response is really unusual. Maybe what you have isn't normal eczema...

[missminni]

The Retin A is miraculous. The flare up I had this morning is totally gone now.
Please suggest it to your friend. It can be gotten without a prescription from here
I used the .10% concentration in cream form applied lightly. It causes light peeling, at which point I apply a light moisturizer.

That's really weird. My experience with Retin-A was that a little bit of it caused a horrible eczema outbreak for me. It's widely known to be bad for eczematous skin, so your response is really unusual. Maybe what you have isn't normal eczema...

It's been diagnosed as eczema by 3 different doctors, and that was including a biopsy*,
but I know what you mean because I read that it would exacerbate eczema too.
I've used RetinA in the past pre-eczema without any adverse re-action. It always agreed
with me, so maybe that contributes to the success I'm having with it now.
My dermatologist didn't seem that surprised when I told her about it....in fact she said it
made sense since RetinA encouraged collagen production. I see that it works faster on my
arms than on my legs. The skin on my arms is much softer than the skin on my legs. Maybe
that accounts for the difference. But it is definitely stopping the rash and clearing it up.

*From biopsy:
Dermatopathology Report
Diagnosis
Leg: Spongiotic Dermatitis
Note: Differential Diagnosis may include Allergic Contact (Irritant), Nummular Dermatitis and Id reaction.

Edited by missminni, 14 November 2008 - 07:37 AM.

[wydell]

Okay, try this. File down your nails and apply a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda twice a day to toenails.

Very cost effective compared to any other treatment and it seems to be the only treatment that works.

Bleach would probably work too, though I never tried it.

My toenail fungus isn't overly extensive, but it is persistent. Had 2 courses of an oral antifungal and it had no effect. Resveratrol is suppose to be an antifungal and I am planning to get back on that with a much higher dosage soon, as well as trying the bleach treatment. Hopefully that will do it. Tried the tree tea oil for a month but got no effect

[tham]

Try soaking your feet in a tub of warm water with about
3 - 5 tablespoonfuls of Dead Seas salts for about half hour
a day.

Can also be used in your bathtub for a whole body soak,
but would be quite expensive as you would need at least
half a jar.

I use this.

http://www.cosway.co...rod_zara_01.htm


This cream containing Berberis (Mahonia) equifolium, or oregon
grape root, is meant for psoriasis, but may also help eczema.

http://www.betterlif...p?prod_id=12185


http://www.ncbi.nlm....l=pubmed_docsum

http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Berb-a

[missminni]

Okay, the honeymoon with Retin A is over.
Initially I used some old RetinA creme that was very effective, but ran out of it in a few days.
I ordered more online because it was $19.99 instead of $108 at my local pharmacy(same exact brand and size). and in the meantime the dermatologist gave me a bunch of sample RetinA microgel to hold me over.
But the micro gel just didn't work the way the creme did. My condition deteriorated and then the heat came on full force last night and I
woke up with a major flare up. So horrible and so depressing.
I'm seeing an eczema specialist on Wed. I've had an appointment for a month now, he's hard to see. My dermatologist studied with him at NYU.
She said he is THE authority on eczema. I am hoping he can help because this is ridiculous.

In the meantime I ran to the drug store and got Clobetasol. I haven't used it in a long time and I am hoping it
will be effective. Eczema is a b*tch.

[niner]

Okay, the honeymoon with Retin A is over.
Initially I used some old RetinA creme that was very effective, but ran out of it in a few days.
I ordered more online because it was $19.99 instead of $108 at my local pharmacy(same exact brand and size). and in the meantime the dermatologist gave me a bunch of sample RetinA microgel to hold me over.
But the micro gel just didn't work the way the creme did. My condition deteriorated and then the heat came on full force last night and I
woke up with a major flare up. So horrible and so depressing.
I'm seeing an eczema specialist on Wed. I've had an appointment for a month now, he's hard to see. My dermatologist studied with him at NYU.
She said he is THE authority on eczema. I am hoping he can help because this is ridiculous.

In the meantime I ran to the drug store and got Clobetasol. I haven't used it in a long time and I am hoping it
will be effective. Eczema is a b*tch.

Sorry to hear that, missminni. RetinA micro is not as strong as regular RetinA. I wonder if that was the problem. I must say, I don't understand your response to retinA, but I agree that eczema sucks.

[missminni]

Okay, the honeymoon with Retin A is over.
Initially I used some old RetinA creme that was very effective, but ran out of it in a few days.
I ordered more online because it was $19.99 instead of $108 at my local pharmacy(same exact brand and size). and in the meantime the dermatologist gave me a bunch of sample RetinA microgel to hold me over.
But the micro gel just didn't work the way the creme did. My condition deteriorated and then the heat came on full force last night and I
woke up with a major flare up. So horrible and so depressing.
I'm seeing an eczema specialist on Wed. I've had an appointment for a month now, he's hard to see. My dermatologist studied with him at NYU.
She said he is THE authority on eczema. I am hoping he can help because this is ridiculous.

In the meantime I ran to the drug store and got Clobetasol. I haven't used it in a long time and I am hoping it
will be effective. Eczema is a b*tch.

Sorry to hear that, missminni. RetinA micro is not as strong as regular RetinA. I wonder if that was the problem. I must say, I don't understand your response to retinA, but I agree that eczema sucks.

Thanks for commiserating. I think if I had the right RetinA I might have avoided the flare up but with eczema it's not uncommon for something to work for a little while and then stop. I actually don't think that was the case this time, but I've had that experience before.
The Clobetasol is working, but I know as it's working it's thinning my skin in the process, and that exacerbates the eczema in the long run.
I never thought I could be so grounded by a rash. It's totally changed my life style. I can't even workout. In fact that seems to be one of the pre-requisites to a break out. It's a vicious cycle.

[tham]

Miss Minni,

Clobetasol (Dermovate) is the highest potency (Class 1) topical
steroid. It's very old, first generation, high systemic absorption
and skin thinning, high adrenal suppression, particularly the
ointment form. Use only as a last resort, and short term.

Go for the second generation steroids - mometasone (Elocon)
and fluticasone (Cutivate). They have much lower systemic
absorption and lesser potential to thin your skin. Mometasone
ointment is Class 2, fluticasone ointment Class 3.

http://www.psoriasis...ids/potency.php

Ointments are generally one to two classes more potent than creams.

You can get them online.


Clobetasone butyrate (Eumovate) is also a first generation cream,
medium potency (Class 3), but with lesser systemic absorption and
skin thinning than the old common steroid in its class, betamethasone
valerate. You could also try it. I don't think it's available in ointment
form though.

http://dermnetnz.org...l-steroids.html

http://www.pubmedcen...i?artid=1674413

[missminni]

Miss Minni,

Clobetasol (Dermovate) is the highest potency (Class 1) topical
steroid. It's very old, first generation, high systemic absorption
and skin thinning, high adrenal suppression, particularly the
ointment form. Use only as a last resort, and short term.

Go for the second generation steroids - mometasone (Elocon)
and fluticasone (Cutivate). They have much lower systemic
absorption and lesser potential to thin your skin. Mometasone
ointment is Class 2, fluticasone ointment Class 3.

http://www.psoriasis...ids/potency.php

Ointments are generally one to two classes more potent than creams.

You can get them online.


Clobetasone butyrate (Eumovate) is also a first generation cream,
medium potency (Class 3), but with lesser systemic absorption and
skin thinning than the old common steroid in its class, betamethasone
valerate. You could also try it. I don't think it's available in ointment
form though.

http://dermnetnz.org...l-steroids.html

http://www.pubmedcen...i?artid=1674413

Hi Tham, Thanks for the information. I will definitely get one of those other creams.
I'm using the cream not the ointment, and I read the inset this morning so I am aware of how dangerous it is. I was so desperate and I knew I had a few refills left from a year ago. It did thin my skin and that's why I didn't use it again, but I had to last night. It made a huge improvement. I'm going to use it very sparingly. They say not to use more than 50g in a week.
I'm seeing a eczema specialist tomorrow. I hope he can figure this out. The dermatologist says it's auto immune eczema triggered environmentally. The specialist will figure out what those triggers are.
I am exhausted physically, emotionally and financially by the whole experience.

[VictorBjoerk]

Miss Minni,

Clobetasol (Dermovate) is the highest potency (Class 1) topical
steroid. It's very old, first generation, high systemic absorption
and skin thinning, high adrenal suppression, particularly the
ointment form. Use only as a last resort, and short term.

Go for the second generation steroids - mometasone (Elocon)
and fluticasone (Cutivate). They have much lower systemic
absorption and lesser potential to thin your skin. Mometasone
ointment is Class 2, fluticasone ointment Class 3.

http://www.psoriasis...ids/potency.php

Ointments are generally one to two classes more potent than creams.

You can get them online.


Clobetasone butyrate (Eumovate) is also a first generation cream,
medium potency (Class 3), but with lesser systemic absorption and
skin thinning than the old common steroid in its class, betamethasone
valerate. You could also try it. I don't think it's available in ointment
form though.

http://dermnetnz.org...l-steroids.html

http://www.pubmedcen...i?artid=1674413

Hi Tham, Thanks for the information. I will definitely get one of those other creams.
I'm using the cream not the ointment, and I read the inset this morning so I am aware of how dangerous it is. I was so desperate and I knew I had a few refills left from a year ago. It did thin my skin and that's why I didn't use it again, but I had to last night. It made a huge improvement. I'm going to use it very sparingly. They say not to use more than 50g in a week.
I'm seeing a eczema specialist tomorrow. I hope he can figure this out. The dermatologist says it's auto immune eczema triggered environmentally. The specialist will figure out what those triggers are.
I am exhausted physically, emotionally and financially by the whole experience.

Missminni: Do you have any allergies, asthma,or other autoimmune disease?

[missminni]

Missminni: Do you have any allergies, asthma,or other autoimmune disease?

I never did before. When I was younger I would get hives occasionally if I
was exposed to strong chemicals, which I often was in the darkroom. But that was about it.
However, since getting eczema this year, I recently found out that my father and brother both have a milder form
of eczema/psoriasis on their arms. My arms are the main attack area. Also, my Mom always had allergies so
I guess I am pre-disposed by genetics.
But up until now, I had none.

[missminni]

I have great news.
I have manged to reverse the flare-up I had Monday morning and I want to share how so that anybody suffering with this awful disease can try it.
I have been keeping a journal by emailing my dermatologist, whose kind help and understanding have helped me immeasurably.
I will post the update I sent her today. I will highlight the protocol. I hope this helps others.
My main indication of progress is my eyelids upon waking. This morning they were still puffy, but much less puffy than yesterday, and the flushed cheek look is gone...another good sign. My arms and legs are clearing up really nicely and there is no sign of a new rash anywhere. I think the 360 mg of fexofenadine every 12 hours is making a big difference.

I'm trying to keep the Clobetasol (.05%)to a minimum (light application every 12 hours) and use the OTC (.01% cortisone with added moisturizers - RiteAid brand) after the Clobetasol and once more mid-day. I am also
using the Cerave moisturizer very often in between cortisone cream applications. The quality of
the skin on my right arm was paper-like yesterday, but this morning it is smooth and I can barely see where the rash was. This is true of my upper body and although my legs are clearing nicely, the rash is more visible there.
Another thing I've done that is different is put pots of water on the radiators in my bedroom.
[/color]

I wrote this in the morning. Now, at 2pm the eyelids are much less puffy.

A few things I didn't mention in the above email that are part of my protocol.
I am also taking on a daily basis:
1. 750 mg of niacinamide, 30 mg of zinc and 400 mg of folic acid twice a day
2. 1 HLC with pepsin, 600 mg of liquid calcium, 1000 IU of D3, 198 mg of potassium 400 mg of magnesium, 400 mg of pantothenic acid.
3. I have consciously improved my diet to include foods that are good for the skin on a daily basis (i.e pomegrant and avocado and lots of dark greens) and have cut down my sugar intake considerably.

ETA~9/21/08 I forgot to mention I wash only with Cerave cleansing cream
4. Cerave cleansing cream is great not only for your skin but even to wash your hair...you don't even need conditioner when you use it.
This morning my eyelids are less swollen then yesterday. My skin is even clearer. This protocol seems to be working very well.

Edited by missminni, 21 November 2008 - 02:24 PM.

[missminni]

It's still working great.
The rash has totally cleared everywhere and is barely visible on my legs..barely.
I am using a very small amount of cortisone cream 2x a day and Cerave moisture cream a few times in between.
Washing hair and skin with Cerave Cleanser. The Cerave products are excellent and affordable.

Most importantly, and I think the key to the success, is the 360 mg of Fexofenadine (Allegra) every 12 hours.
I intend to reduce the dose to 180 mg every 12 hours aftert the holiday. Right now I don't want to mess with success.
What I found out, and important to remember if you should try it, is to take fexofenadine with a full glass of water on an empty stomach and DO NOT drink milk, take pepsin or an anti acid or drink or eat citrus for 2 hours before and after taking it. Prior to finding this out, I was actually taking the pills with milK and would eat grapefruit soon after. They say
doing this diminishes the effect of the medicine. This leads me to believe that now that I am taking it properly, I can probably reduce my dose.
This recovery has been the fastest and best yet. Much faster and better than when I take prednisone.
You can get Fexofenadine w/o a prescription from
this CanadianPharamcy. Although it says you need a RX on the website, it's over the counter in Canada.
It's best to call and order 1.866.539.5330. The shipping is free and takes about a week and half to get. $45 for 90 x 180mg. It's shipped from Germany.
Anybody suffering with eczema, try it. If you are in the midst of a flare up, you can take 3 x180 mg and it will stop it in it's tracks.
Then take 360mg every 12 hours until you feel it's under control and the rash is fading, then try 180 mg every 12 hours for maintenance.
After a year, I finally have a handle on it. For now, I don't care what the cause is, I just want to prevent the break outs without the danger of prednisone. Fexofenadine is very safe, even in high doses. You can drive, you don't get drowsy and you can concentrate. At the same time you
can build up a protective skin barrier by using Cerave. I hope this helps someone.

[missminni]

I am still eczema free. No rash remaining at all. I am no longer using the Clobetsol, and I take 90mg of fexofenadine twice a day. I just started to work out and haven't had the usual stinging feeling I was having before.
For anyone suffering with eczema, I suggest trying this protocol.

[tham]

Sodium selenite.

http://int-pediatric...16-2/german.pdf

[maverick_dw_04]

I am still eczema free. No rash remaining at all. I am no longer using the Clobetsol, and I take 90mg of fexofenadine twice a day. I just started to work out and haven't had the usual stinging feeling I was having before.
For anyone suffering with eczema, I suggest trying this protocol.

Hi missminni. I don't personally have eczema, but I know someone who does, and I decided to look into it for her. I was wondering how you're doing. Is your skin still clear? If so, do you attribute it mostly to continued use of fexofenadine? (If you are indeed still using it) What supplements are you still taking, and did you ever figure anything out about the stomach acid situation?

As I'm sure you're aware, the fexofenadine isn't a cure, but it is a treatment. But if treatment is all that seems to work, especially providing that it's working well (and if you've been breakout free all this time, then I'd call 2 months without a breakout "working well") then I'd say it's worth it. Have you cut milk or dairy products out of your diet, or is all of that unnecessary thanks to the fexofenadine?

Also, you had mentioned that after your tube of Retin A cream ran out, you used some microgel samples from your doctor, but they didn't work; however, you also said that you purchased some more of the same Retin A cream that you'd had before. I was wondering if you ever ended up using that, and if so, what it did for you.

Thank you very much for your time, and hopefully everything is going well for you.

Edited by maverick_dw_04, 21 January 2009 - 09:27 AM.

[maverick_dw_04]

...

Edited by maverick_dw_04, 21 January 2009 - 09:27 AM.

[maverick_dw_04]

Sorry about that. The board was being screwy and just sitting there when I tried to post my reply. Unbeknownst to me, I ended up posting it three times before I was even taken to a different screen. Oh well.

Edited by maverick_dw_04, 21 January 2009 - 09:29 AM.

[nowayout]

I have had eczema on my hand for the past six months and thought I would share my experience. Topical cortisone creams do not make much of a difference and neither does oral prednizone. However, I find that I can keep it from breaking out by applying petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline, the type that does not contain anything else, certainly no perfumes) at least twice a day, more if I wash my hands more often or wash dishes more often. As long as I keep using it, the skin seems to recover and then appears entirely normal for as long as I use it faithfully. However, stopping the petroleum jelly even for a day leads to a recurrence of the eczema.

I am hoping that if I can keep the skin normalized for long enough with the petroleum jelly, I can maybe give it time to recover completely and maybe eventually I might be able to slowly phase out the ointment.

[missminni]

Hi all eczema sufferers....I have great news.
I was eczema free for three months when I was in florida sunbathing etc....and I attributed it to the sun, the easygoing lifestyle etc....
but upon my return to NYC, within a short time I had a major attack and this time the fexofenadine did nothing to help.
I used the corbetasol creme after a week of breaking out ( I had to wait for it to arrive), and had very minor improvement....I started thinking that I had built up a resistance to my "cure".
I analyzed everything I did since I got home, and one thing that stuck out as different than when I was
in florida was that I was eating an enormous amount of ice cream....like a pint of hagen das a day, and eating a lot of chocolate as well.
The Rite Aid around the corner was having sales on both and I loooove ice cream and chocolate.
I know refined sugar is bad for you, but what I didn't know is that it can also bring on auto-immune diseases.
I decided to cut out all sugar and anything that has sugar as a major ingredient which of course included chocolate,
and things that turned to sugar after you eat them...like milk, and bread and the usual suspects. Well, after three days
I noticed a major improvement, and now, a week later it is virtually gone. I stopped using steroid creams and
used Cerave moisturizer frequently. Moisturizing is key. Cerave is great, very mild, but you can use any decent moisturizer including vaseline. You have to restore your skin from the eczema damage.
It was the SUGAR. My diet was always high in carbs
and sweets, and when I entered a stressful period I would eat even more sweets. I think the connection with stress and the breakouts was that I would eat sweets because of the stress. I am clearing up better than ever before....spots that stayed visible although not active are now disappearing entirely. I suggest all eczema sufferers to cut out refined sugar in any form from their diets...no bread, no dairy, no sweets. It's amazing! and you lose weight too.
PS. I use Stevia when I want to sweeten a drink and it's great. Funny thing is when you stop sugar, you stop craving it too.

[stephen_b]

I had a patch of skin on my forehead for about 35 years. I thought it was eczema, but a dermatologist thought it was caused by a virus. A few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to see that it mostly disappeared. For me, I think it was 10 mg of vitamin K2-MK4 that did it.

[DukeNukem]

Haven't read any of this thread, but I've helped several people beat eczema by having them quit eating grains. Boom. Bye bye eczema. Grains have gluten and lectins, both inflammatory and can cause allergic reactions, which eczema is fundamentally. Acne goes bye bye in most people too, when they stop eating grains. Cordain has backed this up with substantial research.

[missminni]

Haven't read any of this thread, but I've helped several people beat eczema by having them quit eating grains. Boom. Bye bye eczema. Grains have gluten and lectins, both inflammatory and can cause allergic reactions, which eczema is fundamentally. Acne goes bye bye in most people too, when they stop eating grains. Cordain has backed this up with substantial research.

yeah gluten is really bad. I was a big bread eater too. I cut out all breads except for
an organic six grain bread...no gluten in it. It seems to be fine.
No cakes, no pastries ... anything that has sugar or can turn into sugar is taboo. and no MILK.
that turns into sugar too. I drank a lot of milk as well. As for the allergy, my eczema was of the auto-immune
variety...I had a biopsy and many allergy tests. I was allergic to nothing. I think the excessive sugar in my diet created the auto immune reaction.

[imarobot]

I have patches of dry skin on my face that I think I've proven only show up when I consume wheat. The patches are not influenced by the season or weather. I was eating wheat for years and the dry skin was getting worse. I went off and the dry skin went away. I tried wheat again. Patches came back. Also, the more good fat (especially coconut oil and olive oil) I consume, the better my skin.

[missminni]

I have patches of dry skin on my face that I think I've proven only show up when I consume wheat. The patches are not influenced by the season or weather. I was eating wheat for years and the dry skin was getting worse. I went off and the dry skin went away. I tried wheat again. Patches came back. Also, the more good fat (especially coconut oil and olive oil) I consume, the better my skin.

My dogs were eating a dog food with grain in it and getting skin rashes, hives etc. As soon as I switched them to a grain free dog food,
no more hives.
I think a good rule of thumb for eating is if it's processed, stay away from it. I probably need to stop eating even the six grain bread I'm still eating.